Eight Killed After B-52 Bomber Crashes Shortly After Takeoff From Edwards Air Force Base

June 16, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

Eight people have died after a US B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday morning during a routine test mission, CNN reported, citing officials.

The aircraft went down shortly after departing the remote base northeast of Los Angeles at around 11:20 a.m. local time, triggering an immediate emergency response and a shift to recovery operations, officials said.

Colonel James Hayes described the incident as severe, saying at a briefing: “It was tragic and unsurvivable.”

The B-52 had been conducting a test flight in support of a radar modernisation programme when the crash occurred, Air Force officials said. The aircraft left a large blackened mark on the sandy runway, with residual smoke visible at the site, though wreckage details remained difficult to distinguish.

Authorities said the crew consisted of a mix of military personnel, government civilians and contractors. Boeing, which manufactures the aircraft, confirmed that two of its employees were among those on board and said it was in contact with their families.

“We are in contact with their families and are offering support,” the company said in a statement.

Emergency teams were deployed immediately following the crash, which left a towering plume of black smoke rising from the site, the base said.

The incident has moved from rescue to recovery operations as investigators work to determine the cause of the crash involving the long-range strategic bomber, a mainstay of US Air Force operations for decades.